A Case of Familial Clustering of Hepatitis C Virus

C형 간염의 가족 내 집단 감염 1례

The familial environment may also play an important role in the epidemiology of HCV infection through vertical and horizontal transmission by infected household members. However, it is still controversial whether familial clustering of HCV occurs. We experienced a case of familial clustering of hepatitis C virus. A 10-year old girl presented with nausea, vomiting and anorexia for a month was diagnosed as hepatitis C. Her mother, grandmother, a maternal aunt and her daughter had contracted with HCV. Her laboratory findings showed AST/ALT 63/122 IU/L, positive anti-HCV Ab and HCV RNA ($3.54{\times}10^5copies/mL$). Pathologic findings of the liver biopsy revealed chronic hepatitis with minimal lobular activity, mild porto-periportal activity and mild portal fibrosis. After treatment with interferon-${\alpha}$ 2b for 6 months, the clinical symptoms and laboratory findings were normalized.

HCV의 가족 내 집단 감염은 드물게 발생하며 배우자에서 감염의 위험이 가장 높고 수직 감염의 빈도는 매우 낮게 보고되고 있다. 저자들은 환자와 환자의 어머니, 외할머니, 이모, 이종 사촌 언니에서 HCV 감염이 확인되어 가족 구성원의 50%가 HCV에 감염된 극히 드문 가족 내 집단 감염을 경험하였기에 문헌 고찰과 함께 보고한다.